St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-17
NORWEGIAN CONSTITUTION
And Its Powers and Privileges
The Things and the Judiciary,

And Its Powers and Privileges
The Things and the Judiciary.
The Norwegian constitution is not
simply an instrument of government,
ordained and established by the
national convention (storthing) of the
Norwegian people, but it is compact
between the storthing and the king.
This is distinctly declared in the con-
Guiding words of the constitution.
Freely translated, the section reads as
follows:
'"rhat the organic law of the Norwe-
gian Kingdom, as it is written, word for
word, i'll the foregoing instrument, has
been negotiated and concluded between
our most gracious lord and king, Charles
Kill, and the extraordinary Storthing
of the Norwegian kingdom, through us,
his commissioners, duly empowered by
him thereto, we attest by our signatures
and seals"
Then follow the signatures and seals
of the agents of the king. "This is a
most capital point" remarks John W.
Burgess, who, in his excellent essay on
Norway and Its Constitutional Crisis
published in the Political Science
quarterly, for last Year,: For
if no method of amendment be pro-
vided in the instrument itself, then no
change of the organic law can be made
except by the king and storthing to the
same. Neither king nor Storthing can
change the constitution withoutthe con-
sent of the other. In other words, the
king has an absolute veto upon all con-
stitutional changes"
CHARACTER OF THE GOVERNMENT IN
NORWAY.
Article l of the constitution declares
Norway to be free, autonomic, indiViS-
ible and Independent state, united with
Sweden under one and the same king.
That is, the union with Sweden is sim
have common executive, but his rights,
powers and prerogatives in the one
have no validity in the other, nor are
the political institutions of the two
states in any manner consolidated. Ar
ticleS 8, 49 and S6 confer the executive
power upon the storthing and the judi
cial power upon the courts. Articles
4 to 4S, inclusive, construct the
executive department and defines it's
rights, powers and prerOgatives. Their
essential provisions are as follows:
The king is the head of the executive
department, but may appoint for the
wegian government viceroy or COVER
nor. The crown prince alone can
be. yiceroy, but any one may bea p
pointed governor, Norwegian or Swede.
The king appoints the members of
his council, composed of a minister of
state and seven other members, from
among Norwegian citizens over 80 wears
of age. The king is bound by the con-
Stitution to reside for a part of each year
in Norway. When the king is in Sweden,
the Norwegian minister of state and two
members of the council must SOjourn
with him. They have the same duties
and the same responsibility as the gov
ernment in Norway. The person of the
king is sacred, and he is irresponsible.
The responsibility rests with the cOun-
Gil. He must, however, give his oath
in the presence of the StOrthing at the
beginning of his reign to govern the
kingdom of Norway in accordance with
its constitution and laws. A simple
majority of the council forms quorum
for business, and a simple majority of a
present quorum is sufficient to pass a
resolution. In case of tie the YicerOy
or governor shall decide. All the busi-
ness transacted in the council must be
entered upon a journal, and each coun-
cillor is bound to express freely his own
opinion, to which the king must give
ear, but the king is not bound by the
advice of his council. The Nor
wegian minister of state and the
two cOunselors, who follow the kings
person, have consultative voice in the
Swedish council, etc. Finally, the
crown descends according to the Salic